Psalms 124
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 124 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
6 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (1) follow the text.
Psalms 124
1(125) A Song of Degrees. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Sion: he that dwells in Jerusalem shall never be moved.Ὠδὴ τῶν ἀναβαθμῶν. Οἱ πεποιθότες ἐπὶ Κύριον ὡς ὄρος Σιὼν, οὐ σαλευθήσεται εἰς αἰῶνα ὁ κατοικῶν Ἱερουσαλήμ·
2The mountains are round about her, and so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth and even for ever.ὄρη κύκλῳ αὐτῆς, καὶ ὁ Κύριος κύκλῳ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος.
3For the Lord will not allow the rod of sinners to be upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous should stretch forth their hands to iniquity.Ὅτι οὐκ ἀφήσει Κύριος τὴν ῥάβδον τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐπὶ τὸν κλῆρον τῶν δικαίων, ὅπως ἂν μὴ ἐκτείνωσιν οἱ δίκαιοι ἐν ἀνομίαις χεῖρας αὐτῶν.
4Do good, O Lord, to them that are good, and to them that are upright in heart.Ἀγάθυνον, Κύριε, τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς καὶ τοῖς εὐθέσι τῇ καρδίᾳ.
5But them that turn aside to crooked ways the Lord will lead away with the workers of iniquity: * but peace shall be upon Israel.Τοὺς δὲ ἐκκλίνοντας εἰς τὰς στραγγαλιὰς, ἀπάξει Κύριος μετὰ τῶν ἐργαζομένων τὴν ἀνομίαν. εἰρήνη ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραήλ.
Translator's Notes
These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.
- v. 5*Or, let peace be.
The Fathers on Psalms 124
Saint Augustine of Hippo comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Psalms 124:1Saint Augustine of Hippo2. “They that put their trust in the Lord shall be even as the mount Sion: they shall not be removed for ever” (ver. 1).
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On Psalms 124:1Saint Augustine of Hippo3. Who are these? “They shall stand fast for ever, who dwell in Jerusalem” (ver. 2). If we understand this earthly Jerusalem, all who dwelt therein have been excluded by wars and by the destruction of the city: thou now seekest a Jew in the city of Jerusalem, and findest him not. Why then will “they that dwell in Jerusalem not be moved for ever,” save because there is another Jerusalem, of which ye are wont to…
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On Psalms 124:1Saint Augustine of Hippo4. What is this Jerusalem? He briefly describes it. “The mountains stand around Jerusalem” (ver. 2). Is it anything great, that we are in a city surrounded by mountains? Is this the whole of our happiness, that we shall have a city which mountains surround? Do we not know what mountains are? or what are mountains save swellings of the earth? Different then from these are those mountains that we love, lofty…
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On Psalms 124:3Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “For the Lord will not leave the rod of the ungodly upon the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands unto wickedness” (ver. 3). At present indeed the righteous suffer in some measure, and at present the unrighteous sometimes tyrannize over the righteous. In what ways? Sometimes the unrighteous arrive at worldly honours: when they have arrived at them, and have been made either judges or…
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On Psalms 124:4Saint Augustine of Hippo9. And he therefore addeth, “Do well, O Lord, unto those that are good and true of heart” (ver. 4). They who are right in heart, of whom I was speaking a little before,—they who follow the will of God, not their own will,—reflect upon this. But they who wish to follow God, allow Him to go before, and themselves to follow; not themselves to go before, and Him to follow; and in all things they find Him good,…
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On Psalms 124:5Open Psalms 124 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of Hippo10. Whence the Psalmist at once addeth: “As for such as turn aside, the Lord shall lead them forth unto strangling with the workers of unrighteousness” (ver. 5): that is, those whose deeds they have imitated; because they took delight in their present pleasures, and did not believe in their punishments to come. What then shall they have, who are righteous in heart, and who turn not back? Let us now come to the…
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